Iran Will Not Return US Drone

This photo released on Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011, by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, claims to show the chief of the aerospace division of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, left, listening to an unidentified colonel as he points to US RQ-170 Sentinel drone which Tehran says its forces downed earlier this week.
(Credit: AP Photo/Sepahnews)

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- A senior commander of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard says his country will not return a U.S. surveillance drone captured by its armed forces.

Deputy head of the Guard Gen. Hossein Salami said Sunday inremarks broadcast on state television that the violation of Iran'sairspace by the U.S. drone is a "hostile act" and warned of a"bigger" response.

But he didn't elaborate on what Iran might do.

Iranian television broadcast video Thursday of Iranian militaryofficials inspecting what it identified as the RQ-170 Sentinel drone, and offered the first evidence that Tehran had captured the aircraft.

Iranian state radio has said the unmanned aircraft was detectedover the eastern town of Kashmar, some 140 miles (225 kilometers)from the border with Afghanistan.

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